The purpose of the event is to stimulate exploration and learning about the breadth and depth of cybernetics in theory and practice

By Cybernetics Society and Centre for Info Mgm

The Cybernetics Conversation 2023

The purpose of the event is to stimulate conversation, exploration and learning about the breadth and depth of cybernetics in theory and practice. This is not a conventional academic ‘conference’ but an event where attendees are encouraged to directly engage with each other and our hosts to explore how cybernetic ideas inform practice and how practice informs cybernetic ideas.

On Monday 23rd October we will be hosted by University College London Hospital and we will be considering challenges of social infrastructure in particular health and social care, education, civil administration, policing and security.

On Tuesday 24th October we will be hosted by ARUP and will be considering matters of fundamental infrastructure (energy, transport, waste, water, information technology)and engineering in particular through cross-cutting themes of Decarbonisation, Resilience and Adaptation, Digital Transitions, AI and other challenges.

We will be joined by guests from the host organizations who will join us in exploring the themes with the aim that they will share their specialist knowledge and we will contribute insights from cybernetics. The essential design for each day will be ‘World Café’ – starting with a provocation from a key speaker, followed by a series of linked discussions with participants able to contribute to each theme and coming back together towards the end of the day to share accumulated findings and, if appropriate, develop actions to be taken forward.

On Wednesday 25th, venue yet to be finalized but also in Central London, we will take more of a look at ourselves and the meta-discipline of cybernetics and picking up threads and themes unsuited to the first two days. Ideas already in train but to which we need to add include building on the great work already in course on our education and professional development as cyberneticians, our new journal, ways of developing the Society itself and hearing about the research work being undertaken by Doctoral and other students. There are at least 6 students working on doctorates rooted in cybernetics across personal health and social care, criminal justice, conflict management and transport systems embracing topics of artificial intelligence, data security, data integrity, domestic abuse and military action and governance.

A detailed programme is in development and will be published as soon as available.

About the Venue

Lunch and refreshments at each venue. Please advise us of any dietary restrictions by contacting the Cybernetics Society Secretary: secretary@cybsoc.org

Registration Information

This will be an ‘in person event’ only as participation will require presence in the physical spaces provided.

Participants may register for the 1,2 or 3 days though we encourage participation throughout as the means to both make the greatest contribution and the greatest learning.

Discounted registration rates are available to Cybernetics Society Members, Centre for Information Management (CIM) & Loughborough University Staff, as well as students (both Cybsoc members and non-members).

A bursary option is available for members or non-members who may struggle to attend for financial reasons but would like to. Please email the Cybernetics Society Secretary secretary@cybsoc.org to request permission to book this option.

About the Cybernetics Society

The Cybernetics Society promotes and offers education and research opportunities in the rich field of cybernetics.

The Cybernetics Society – http://CybSoc.org – is a specially authorised learned society regulated by the FSA and established by a 1974 Act of Parliament.

Cybernetics plays into and strongly influences many scientific and practice fields including design, epistemology, ecology, biology, psychology and living behaviour, technology and engineering, social policy, and business practice.

Cybernetics offers distinct thinking, tools and techniques to address local and global challenges of the 21st century.

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 10:00 – Wed, 25 Oct 2023 16:30 BST

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-cybernetics-conversation-2023-tickets-691802518957